🔗 Share this article Spanish Parishioner Who Gained Notoriety for Botching a Famous Painting Repair Dies at the Age of 94 Cecilia Giménez's handiwork of the century-old artwork. The Spanish parishioner who achieved global fame for her poorly executed repair job on a cherished religious painting has died at the age 94. Cecilia Giménez, from the town of Borja in northeast Spain, became a global sensation 13 years ago after she undertook to restore a 100-year-old painting known as Ecce Homo housed within her local church. Giménez's handiwork quickly went viral and was dubbed "Potato Jesus", because the altered likeness of Christ's head bearing a resemblance to a furry primate. Official Announcement and Homage The nonagenarian's passing was confirmed by Borja's mayor, Eduardo Arilla, via an online statement, where he acknowledged her as a "passionate enthusiast of painting from a young age". "Descansa en paz Cecilia, we will always remember you," Arilla wrote. Arilla also paid tribute to Giménez's "famous restoration of Ecce Homo" in the summer of 2012, which "due to the deteriorated condition it presented, Cecilia, with the best intentions, decided to repaint the work over". The Artwork's History and the Now-Infamous Act The Ecce Homo ("Behold the Man" in Latin) by 19th century painter Elias Garcia Martinez had been held for more than a hundred years in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church near Zaragoza. In 2012, Giménez, then 81, explained that church members had "traditionally fixed everything here", and that she had received permission from the parish priest to proceed. She added at the time that anyone who entered the church would have seen she was painting over the original image. An Unexpected Economic Lifeline The impact of the repaint job spawned the "Monkey Christ" meme and saw the once quiet town of Borja rapidly turn into a major tourist destination. The municipality, which had previously seen only five thousand visitors per year, received over 40,000 tourists by 2013, and managed to raise over €50,000 for charity from the attention. Currently, officials estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 tourists visit Borja each year to view the famous portrait, which is now displayed behind a protective shield of glass. Later Life and Community Support Following the wave of criticism, backed by local residents and well-wishers globally, Giménez went on to stage an exhibition of her paintings showcasing 28 of her own works. She was commended by the mayor for her generosity and years of dedication to the parish. Ultimately, what began as a well-intentioned but flawed act of restoration created an improbable piece of pop culture and brought unprecedented attention and resources to a humble Spanish town.